Thread reserve forming devices for thread winding mechanisms



Oct. 29, 1968 w. LENK ET AL 3,408,011

THREAD RESERVE FORMING DEVICES FOR THREAD WINDING MECHANISMS Filed Jan.24, 1966 INVENTORS: WILHELM LENK KARL H. REHN BY firvdm ATT'YS UnitedStates Patent 3,408,011 THREAD RESERVE FORMING DEVICES FOR THREADWINDING MECHANISMS Wilhelm Lenk and Karl-Heinz Rehn, Remscheid-Lennep,

Germany, assignors t0 Barmer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft,Wuppertal-Oberbarmen, Germany Filed Jan. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 522,573Claims priority, application Germany, Jan. 29, 1965, B 80,316 7 Claims.(Cl. 242-18) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Devices for forming threadreserve windings on winding tubes embodying screw threaded roller withaxis of rotation extending obliquely toward winding tube; roller mayhave axially spaced thread sections of different diameters with threadsof different screw pitch.

This invention pertains to improvements in thread reserve formingdevices for winding a thread reserve winding on a spool, a pirn tube, orlike thread winding tube. More particularly, the thread reserve formingdevices of the invention comprise a thread guide roller rotatable aboutan axis which preferably is oblique to the axis of Winding tube, whichroller has at least one cylindrical or frusto-conical surface withspiral grooves which receive a thread or other yarn or filament,hereinafter designated generically as thread, as it is initially woundon the winding tube.

In general, threads are wound on a rotatably driven winding tube such asa winding spool, winding pirn, winding bobbin, etc., while causing thethread to reciprocate back and forth as it is wound. The reciprocationis called the traverse guide stroke. The winding devices of thisinvention are located just outside the traverse guide stroke and guidethe thread as it is wound initially on the winding tube. The initialwinding, thus, is outside the traverse guide stroke for the winding bodyproper and forms, usually at the base of the winding tube, a separatewinding or windings known as a waste thread winding and/ or a threadreserve winding. The latter is used to tie the initial, underlying partof the winding body proper to another thread winding on another windingtube prior to exhaustion of said winding body proper to allowcontinuous, sequential run-off of the thread windings. Waste threadwindings, on the other hand, are windings of thread to be cut away fromthe threads of the winding body proper and/or thread reserve windingsand to be discarded.

Devices are already known for the formation of a thread reserve inspooling mechanisms, which consist essentially of a constantly rotatingthread catcher arranged outside the thread guide path. The catcher gripsthe thread placed next to it in the initial spooling and blocks itagainst any lateral movement until, in consequence of its rotation, itreleases the running thread, so that this latter, after the spooling ofthe thread reserve, can move laterally toward a self-threading threadguide of the traverse guide stroke mechanism. These systems have,however, the drawback that they require a special drive, by which thethread catcher is continuously driven during the entire spooling processor at least during the initial part of the winding. Since the threaddelivery speed differs considerably from the turning speed of the threadcatcher, the quality of the advanced thread end is generallyinadmissibly impaired by abrasion and increases of the tension of thethread sliding in a sharp bend over the thread catcher.

3,408,011 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 Moreover, it is frequently desired,before the commencement of the formation of the thread reserve windingor the thread winding proper, to deposit separately unstretched oruntwisted thread lengths on the winding tube or on the winding spindleitself. By means of the known devices on winding mechanisms this is notpossible.

This invention, therefore, provides an advance in the art by providing adevice for the formation of a thread reserve on winding mechanisms,which device operates without a special drive means, assures a gentletreatment of the leading or initial thread ends which are handledthereby and the consistent feed during such handling of approximatelyequal lengths and, finally, makes possible by certain embodiments theseparate deposition of a preceding thread waste winding ahead of thethread reserve winding.

In order to achieve these objectives and advantages, the inventionprovides for the formation of the thread reserve winding a cylindricaland/or fru'sto-conical thread guide roller borne to turn freely on anaxis set obliquely to the axis of rotation of winding spindle and thewinding tube thereon. The roller is provided on its circumference with ascrew thread by which the running thread is guided to the free end ofthe roller. This thread guide roller can be provided with two or morescrew thread sections axially spaced on the roller circumference, whichsections may have different screw thread pitches. Moreover, the bearingpin on which the thread guide roller is freely rotatably borne may befastened by means of a clamping device to a stationary machine part andmay be equipped, if desired, with a thread guide bow.

The thread guide rollers of the invention are of surprising reliabilityin operation. They require no separate drive and no maintenance and canbe mounted with the simple means on the machine frame and adjusted tothe particular thread course. The thread at the start of its winding ismerely laid over the roller near its base. It slips into the rearmostthreads and then begins, by friction of the deflected, running thread,to turn the roller. With the aid of the screw thread or spiral groove,the rotating roller shifts the running thread toward its free end, wherethe thread is thrown off and is caught by the reciprocating thread guideof the transverse guide mechanism and is then wound to form the windingbody proper. In the process, the first thread windings, because thethread running at a constant speed requires a certain amount of time forthe acceleration of the roller to a peripheral speed near the linearspeed of the thread, will lie closer together in the thread reservewinding or the waste winding than is later the case when the roller hasgone into full speed rotation.

If a waste end winding and the thread reserve winding are built upseparately from the winding proper, two, separate, screw axially spacedthread sections, which are connected with one another by a threadtransfer means, are arranged on the thread guide roller in such a waythat the thread in the initially wound thread end is distributed withthe desired winding number and pitch and with clear marking with respectto the waste end. Here, it may be expedient to make the screw threadpitch of the thread section situated on the free end of the thread guideroller smaller than that of the other thread section, in order to reducethe axial thread advance of the roller. The thread reaches thefirst-mentioned section with the roller turning at full speed.

Further, it may be advantageous in certain cases to arrange theindividual screw thread sections on roller zones of different diameter,in which case the roller can be frusto-conical or in cylindrical orfrustO-conical step form.

It is an object of the invention to provide, in the combination of athread winding machine having a winding station comprising a spindlerotatably supporting a winding tube, means to rotate said winding tube,and a traverse guide device for reciprocating the running thread as itis wound on said tube, a device for forming a thread reserve windingprior to forming the thread winding body proper comprising a threadguide roller having a screw thread on the roller surface, rollersupporting means rotatably supporting said roller contiguous to an endof said winding tube, the axis of rotation of said roller extendingobliquely toward said winding tube, and a free end of said guide rollerproviding an end unobstructed t passage of thread thereover and facingtoward said winding tube, whereby the initial portion of running threadbeing wound may be deflected over the screw threaded surface of saidroller to frictionally rotate said roller and thereby convey said threadin said screw thread to the free end of said rotating roller, duringwhich said thread reserve winding is formed.

Another object is to provide, for use in a thread winding machine havinga winding station comprising a spindle rotatably supporting a windingtube, means to rotate said winding tube, and a traverse guide device forreciprocating the running thread as it is wound on said tube, a threadguide roller having a screw thread on the roller surface, stub axlemeans extending into an axial end of said roller and rotatablysupporting said roller, the other axial end of said roller being an endfree of obstructions to thread passing thereover, and means forsupporting said stub axle means and said roller at a winding station ofa thread winding machine contiguous to an end of the winding tube ofsaid station with the axis of said roller extending obliquely towardsaid winding tube.

A more specific object is to provide in the aforesaid combination andthread guide roller subcombin-ation a roller composed of two axiallyspaced screw thread sections of the same hand.

Another more specific object is to provide two screw sections asaforesaid with respective threads of different pitch.

A further more specific object is to provide in the aforesaidcombination and thread guide roller subcombination a roller supportcomprising a rod having one end extending axially into said end of saidroller and also shaped in the form of a thread guide bow.

Still another more specific object is to provide a roller support membercomprising a rod extending axially into an end of said roller andclamping means on said rod for mounting said rod and roller to astationary member of said winding station.

The features, objectives and advantages of the invention are illustratedin the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a winding station of a thread windingmachine and shows an embodiment of a thread guide roller of theinvention and its relationship to the winding mechanism of the windingstation;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another thread guide roller embodimentwith the roller shown in diametric cross-section;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another thread guide roller embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the embodiment of FIG. 3 with respectivethreads of different pitch in the two thread sections; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a winding station similar to FIG. 1 withthe thread guide roller, thread guide bow and associated mountingstructure illustrated in FIG. 2.

Referring to FlG. l, the winding machine station is of usualconstruction and comprises a drive roller 11, a winding tube spindle 13rotatably journalled on the swinging arm 12, on which spindle there isplaced the winding tube 14, and a reciprocating thread guide 15. Roller11 is mounted on a gang drive shaft which commonly drives rollers 11 andeach winding station. The thread 16, delivered by or drawn oif from thestretching or twisting device, for example, is conducted over or througha thread guide means 17 constructed as a roller, eye or the like. Thelatter is arranged approximately centrally opposite the winding tube 14.The advance end of the thread 16 is secured on the base end of thewinding tube 14and the initial part of the winding is first deflectedlaterally over the lower end of the thread guide roller 18 in the screwthread 19 near the base of the guide roller 18. After descent of theswinging arm until the winding tube comes to lie on the drive roller,the running thread by friction sets the easily turnable roller inincreasing rotary movement and is conveyed in the spiral screw threadgroove to the free end of the roller 18. In the process, the thread iswound on the tube 14, depending on the oblique position of the roller 18with respect to the tube 14 in a more or less broad or narrow threadreserve winding. At the upper end of the thread groove the thread thenjumps over the slightly rounded or conical face surface of the roller 18into the traverse stroke range of the self-threading, reciprocatingthread guide 15, is carried along by this and in a known manner, andforms the winding body proper, distributed beside the thread reservewinding on the winding tube. The thread guide roller is rotatablyjournalled on the stub axle end of support rod 20, the other end ofwhich is releasably coupled by clamp sleeve 21 on the fixed rod 22 ofthe winding machine in the proper, spaced relation to winding tube 14.Thus, the support rod 20 provides an axis of rotation for roller 18extending obliquely toward the winding tube 14. The free end of theroller 18 is contiguous to and substantially faces the winding tube 14and provides an end unobstructed to passage of thread thereover. Thisprovides a combination whereby the initial portion of running threadbeing wound may be deflected over the screw threaded surface of saidroller to frictionally rotate said roller and thereby convey said threadin said screw thread to the free end of said rotating roller, duringwhich said thread reserve winding is formed.

Referring to FIG. 2, the cylindrical or frusto-conical form thread guideroller 28 consists essentially of a cylindrical, rotatably journalledcore 23, on the upper face of which there is made a concentric recess 24for the reception of a snap ring 25, as well as of the cup-shaped shell26, the outer circumference of which is provided with a screw thread 27.The core 23 and/ or the shell 26 can be made of light metal or plastic,especially polyamide, or of sinter material and are joined securelytogether, for example, by cementing. The support rod for the threadguide roller 28 is a thread guide bow 29, one end of which is the stubaxle pin 30 with conical point 31 and a locking groove 32 for thesnapping in of the snap ring 25 and the other, U-bent end of which isfastened by means of clamp 33 and screw 34 to the stationary rod 19. Theright-hand U-loop 42 provides resilient support for the thread guide bow29 to give the thread guide bow resilient flexibility if it is contactedby the running thread. The left-hand U-loop 43 has an upstanding tip orrod 44. Normally the thread T does not contact the thread guide bow 29,its tip or rod 44 or guide roller 28 as the thread traverses windingtube 14 over traverse angle a in forming winding W. Its closest path ispath T However, when the thread path from guide roller 45 is deflectedlaterally by hand or otherwise over roller 28 into thread path T for thepurpose of forming a thread reserve winding 46 prior to forming windingW, the thread lies against angular corner 47 at the base of the pin ortip 44 to provide an angular deflection between deflection roller 45 andguide roller 28 and thereby hold the thread T in the screw threads 27 ofthe latter roller until it is released over the free end of roller 28.

FIG. 3 shows a two-stage, thread-guide roller 35 rotatably mounted onthe rod 20 with two, different diameter, screw thread sections 36 and 37lying axially one behind the other with a frusto-conical wall 38therebetween. The respective screw threads of sections 36 and 37 may beof the same or of different thread pitch and are of the same hand. Bymeans of this roller it is possible, first of all, to wind possiblewaste on the winding tube or on the spindle itself or a separate,juxtapositioned waste tube (not shown) and then to wind in the secondstage the thread reserve winding and then the winding body proper. Thebase of the roller may have a flange 39 with a frusto-conical wall 40for guiding the thread into the rear portion of screw thread section 36.The tip 41 of roller 35 is conical.

The embodiment of FIG. 4 is like in most respects to the embodiment ofFIG. 3. It illustrates, however, screw thread sections 36 and 37 of thesame hand wherein the threads of rear section 36 have a greater pitchthan the pitch of the threads of front section 37 at the free end ofroller 35. The thread sections of different thread pitch and the axialspace therebetween, which is provided by frusto-conical wall 38,provides sharp delineation between the thread waste winding resultingfrom rear thread section 36 and the thread reserve resulting from frontthread section 37. The advantages of the thread guide rollers herein lieabove all in completely sure operation and in the elimination of specialdrive means whereby they are surprisingly simple and inexpensive devicesand can be mounted readily on the winding mechanisms of stretching ortwisting machines on hand.

It is thought that the invention and its numerous attendant advantageswill be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it isobvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit orscope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages,the forms herein disclosed being preferred embodiments for the purposeof illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In the combination of a thread winding machine having a windingstation comprising a spindle rotatably supporting a winding tube, meansto rotate said winding tube, and a traverse guide device forreciprocating the running thread as it is wound on said tube, a devicefor forming a thread reserve winding prior to forming the thread windingbody proper comprising a thread guide roller having a screw thread onthe roller surface, roller supporting means rotatably supporting saidroller contiguous to an end of said winding tube, said roller supportingmeans embodying a rod extending axially into one end of said roller, athread guide bow having an arm extending across said roller with saidroller between said arm and said winding tube, an upstanding rod on anend of said arm, said rod forming a thread path deflection member whenthe thread path is deflected into said screw thread of said thread guideroller, and the opposite, free end of said guide roller providing an endunobstructed to passage of thread thereover and facing toward saidwinding tube, whereby the initial portion of running thread being woundmay be deflected over the screw threaded surface of said roller tofrictionally rotate said roller and thereby convey said thread in saidscrew thread to the free end of said rotating roller, during which saidthread reserve winding is formed.

2. In a combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thread guide bowcomprises a rod bent into U-loops at opposite ends of said arm with saidupstanding rod projecting upwardly from an end of one U-loop.

3. In a combination as claimed in claim 2, and clamping means on saidrod for mounting said rod and roller to a stationary member of saidwinding station.

4. In a combination as claimed in claim 1, said screw thread beingcomposed of two axially spaced screw thread sections of the same handand of different diameters with a frusto-conical wall therebetween, thesection of smaller diameter being adjacent said free end.

5. In a combination as claimed in claim 4, said screw thread sectionsrespectively having threads of different screw pitch.

6. A thread guide roller useful for forming a thread reserve windingcontiguous to the winding body proper on a winding tube of a windingmachine comprising a roller having a screw thread on the roller surface,stub axle means extending into an axial end of said roller and rotatablysupporting said roller, the other axial end of said roller being an endfree of obstructions to thread passing thereover, means adapted formounting said stub axle means and said roller thereon on a threadwinding machine contiguous to an end of the winding tube, and a threadguide bow mounted on said last-mentioned means and having an armextending across said roller with said roller between said arm and saidwinding tube, an upstanding rod on an end of said arm, said rod forminga thread path deflection member when the thread path is deflected intosaid screw thread of said thread guide roller.

7. A thread guide roller as claimed in claim 6, said screw thread beingcomposed of two axially spaced screw thread sections of the same handand of different diameters with a frusto-conical wall therebetween, thesection of smaller diameter being adjacent said free end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,715,308 8/1955 Soussloff et a1.242-18 X 3,147,579 9/ 1964 Michalek 242-18 X 3,237,876 3/1966 Franzen24218 FOREIGN PATENTS 914,082 12/ 1962 Great Britain. 978,187 12/ 1964Great Britain. 1,128,873 8/1956 France.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

